You Don't Know
by YoungFool
Summary: When tossed in jail at THE BOILING ROCK, Ty Lee watches Zuko tossed into her jail cell as well by Azula's guards. After not long, feelings come out and Zuko finds himself in an odd position after hearing Ty Lee out. One-Shot. Ty Luko. Rated K plus.


**Ty Luko, here ya go again! This is a One-Shot.**

**This is also an idea I had a while back. I wanted to make it the start of a story but I decided to leave it a one-shot. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, although I wish I did.**

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**This takes place after **_**The Boiling Rock**_**.**

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**You Don't Know**

It had been an hour or so since Ty Lee had been tossed into prison ruthlessly by obedient guards of the Fire Nation Princess, Azula. Azula took precautions, knowing just how dangerous Ty Lee was despite her sweet and innocent appearance, and had ordered for Ty Lee to be physically abused. To be broken. The girl's lip was bust open, the blood having stopped flowing just minutes ago. Her face was covered in bruises. However, the girl used her sleeves to wipe away the crimson colored blood. The tear stains, however, would not go away.

Mai had been given the same treatment for the most part. She didn't need to be beaten because Azula knew that without her knives, Mai was nothing. She had them taken them away and was especially careful to take the concealed ones also, having female guards remove her robes. The clothing was given back to her shortly. Her cell was in the opposite side of the prison from Ty Lee's own cell. Mai felt no regret. She saved Zuko, and that was more important to her than being Azula's "friend". She just sat there and waited.

Azula didn't care for them any longer and wished them to rot and die.

While Ty Lee sobbed quietly in the corner of her cell, the darkness concealing her almost perfectly, she heard Azula and several guards walking outside. It'd been a few hours since she'd even heard the voice of another human, let alone see one. She stopped making noises and listened intently to the commotion outside.

"Princess, this cell is empty," spoke a guard holding a prisoner by his arms. "He can be tossed in here"

"Very well," Azula smirked, but still unhappy. She couldn't believe how her so thought friends betrayed her earlier. She could've seen Mai leaving her because of Zuko, but _Ty Lee too_? Azula had learned that Ty Lee just didn't give a care for her. "Feel free to rough him up some also"

Ty Lee heard the door to her cell squeak open, some new light entering the dark chamber. The guards had failed to see that this cell was actually occupied because Ty Lee was covered well by the shadows. Three guards threw in a masculine body, still conscious, but very weak. They shut the doors behind them and left the cell. Azula had disappeared also.

Looking closely, Ty Lee concentrated on the figure and made it out to be someone she'd hoped would've escaped.

"Zuko?" Ty Lee called.

The boy quickly turned his head with the mention of his name. It took him a while, but he spotted the broken, pink girl. He met her with nothing but a vicious glare. "Ty Lee!"

"I thought you got away?" Ty Lee asked.

"No, we didn't! And it's your fault!" Zuko pointed at the girl, screaming. "Who knows how long we'll be stuck in here now!"

"Zuko…I'm sorry, but I had to," Ty Lee reasoned. "Azula would kill me if I didn't listen to her"

"Whose fault is that?" Zuko asked demandingly, his eyes twitching. "Are you going to jump into this boiling lake if the bitch asked you to?"

Ty Lee didn't respond. She looked down, embarrassed.

"Well, would you?" Zuko persisted angrily.

"…No…" Ty Lee responded weakly. She felt the back of her eyes burning, dying to let some tears fall. Zuko was right, it was her fault.

"But you'd try to kill me if she asked you to?" Zuko interrogated further.

"…I'm sorry Zuko…" Ty Lee heard her voice crack. She didn't look up at the boy. "I'm sorry…"

"You'd better be. We might end up dying in here" Zuko informed, closing his eyes and falling to his back. A few minutes of silence had passed before Ty Lee spoke again.

"What happened?" she asked curiously.

"…Azula…" Zuko gritted his teeth. His frustration at his sister could not be expressed in words. But he kept his cool and didn't want to explode again. Not in front of her.

"What did she do?"

"She's smart…and I hate her for it. She had a hole cut into the war balloon you three came here in. She had us trapped. We didn't make it in time"

"What about the others?" Ty Lee continued.

"They're here also," Zuko responded. "Where's Mai?"

"I think she's in this prison too, but I'm not sure. They separated the two of us"

"Wait…? Why are the two of you here?" Zuko was confused. He opened his eyes to spot the girl, still hidden in the darkness. He couldn't make out her facial expression for it was too dark. The two were in a cell with no window. The only source of light came from the halls outside. And even that light was minimal.

"We kind of…_betrayed _Azula" Ty Lee whispered the last part. She felt foolish. Her actions may have just cut her life short and turned it into a painful one.

"You _betrayed_ her!?" Zuko sat up. "Why?"

"I have my own reasons" Ty Lee looked away from the boy. She wouldn't want to tell him. It'd just upset him. Not just him, someone else also. Someone very close to the acrobat.

"Tell me" Zuko ordered.

"It's not important"

"You're life is ruined because of it. Of course it's important" Zuko said matter-of-factly.

"You wouldn't want to hear it"

"Then why am I asking?"

"…It doesn't matter. I don't want to tell you anyway"

"Why?" Zuko asked. His was becoming impatient now.

"I don't know how you'll react…" Ty Lee spoke hesitantly. Her frown darkened and her cut lip burned.

"Ty Lee, just stop acting so weird" Zuko sighed.

"I'm not telling you"

"Whatever," Zuko turned away. If she wasn't going to come out openly and tell him, he'd find out later. "Just remember that it's your fault. You delayed us"

"Hey! Stop saying that" Ty Lee whined. "I was just listening to Azula! Maybe _you_ should stay loyal to your nation!" Ty Lee spat viciously.

Zuko's eyes shot open. "What did you say!?"

"You heard me…it's your own fault you're in here"

"I was trying to _save _the world! The Fire Nation and my idiotic father would ruin it! I _had_ to betray the Fire Nation to help save the world!"

Ty Lee was taken aback by these words. "…Well, who says the Fire Nation would _ruin_ it?"

"Where have you been? My father wants to control _everything_!" Zuko news flashed the girl. "That would cause chaos and people would kill each other over anything"

"…You're right…" the girl confessed. She looked down to her lap. "I never should've listened to Azula…"

"You should've figured that out long ago. She doesn't even care about you. She only pretended to so you would stay by her side in war. She used you"

"I'm sorry…" Ty Lee let a tear slip from her eyes.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the many people Azula killed. The families she's torn apart. The world she's ruined. You helped her with it"

"Stop it! I already said I'm sorry!" Ty Lee cried. "I know I messed up but you messed up in your life too!"

"…I know…" Zuko whispered. "And I feel guiltier than you"

"…Why?" Ty Lee asked, the tears stopping their tracks across her cheeks.

"My uncle," Zuko looked away. "I…betrayed him"

"I'm sorry. That must feel terrible. But we do have something in common now" Ty Lee giggled the last part.

"Whatever"

"That's all you have to say?"

"There's nothing else to say. We both betrayed someone for the worse. Me, my uncle. You, the world"

"I guess so"

"Yeah"

They had stopped speaking now. Zuko closed his eyes and rested his aching body. Ty Lee stared at the cracks in the walls. There was nothing else to do.

"Do you blame me for getting locked up in here?"

"_I don't want to tell you_," Zuko mocked. "_I don't know how you'll react_"

"I'm serious" Ty Lee pleaded to know, although she couldn't hold back a grin from his poor attempt at humor.

"I do somewhat" Zuko answered. Ty Lee was hurt at the sound of these words. She frowned.

"You don't really like me, do you?" Ty Lee asked in a saddened tone.

"Let's just say I'm not very happy at you right now" Zuko said through half closed lips.

"So you hate me?"

"If that's what you want to say" Zuko spoke truthfully.

"I don't hate you" Ty Lee said.

"Of course not. You know nothing about me"

"Yes I do" Ty Lee replied.

"No you don't. You have no idea what my life's been like. You don't know me"

"I do know you!" the girl protested, although she wasn't sure why.

"No you don't! Just shut up!" Zuko yelled.

"I RISKED MY LIFE TO LET YOU GET AWAY!" Ty Lee jumped up and screamed at the boy. Zuko's eyes shot open and the girl covered her mouth. A quick moment of silence passed.

"Why did you…?"

"You don't know, Zuko..." Ty Lee whispered, laughing at the boy's foolishness to herself, her tears flowing again. "I. Love. You."

Now, _this_ was a shock to the boy's ears. He was speechless. This girl that had given him nothing but her kindness, and that he had viciously turned away, cared for him. He would've never guessed. He couldn't speak. Neither said anything for another moment. Zuko spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, embarrassed with himself. He felt terrible inside.

"I couldn't hurt Mai," Ty Lee's voice cracked again. "She liked you first"

"Oh…so you just…hurt yourself watching us together…" Zuko whispered in a very hushed, guilty tone.

"Mai's my best friend," Ty Lee wiped some tears away. "…I couldn't hurt her"

"I'm sorry…" Zuko pitied the girl. She was always so happy and seeing her hurt cracked him. There was a new respect he had for her.

"You never liked me…" she continued. "You probably just found out my name a few months ago"

"That's not true," Zuko corrected. "I did know you"

"But you just didn't care," Ty Lee hissed angrily. "I was never anything to you"

"…You are _now_…" Zuko smiled. "You risked your life to save me"

The girl just simply nodded. She forced a smile upon herself also. "It just hurt so much…knowing I could never be with the one I love…"

"But…you actually tried to get Mai with me. This doesn't make sense. Why are you so happy all the time about that?" Zuko spoke again.

"I was just nervous. I was scared that you wouldn't like me…" Ty Lee started, looking the boy in his face through blurred and tear-filled eyeballs. "I don't know why I tried to get you two together. It just hurt too much but Mai was so happy. It was the one thing that actually made her smile. I couldn't take it away" Ty Lee looked away. Zuko still couldn't see her, for she was covered in the darkness.

"I'm sorry…I never meant for you to be hurt like this," Zuko apologized. "I didn't know someone actually cared for me"

"I always did. You're the reason I smile all the time. You're the reason I even chose to help Azula capture the Avatar, and you. And you're the reason I'm going to die in here" Ty Lee whispered. She'd never thought she would be telling this to Zuko. Or anyone for that matter. But she didn't care. It didn't seem so awkward anymore. They were going to die in here, so she had might as well tell him sooner or later.

"…Come here" Zuko motioned to the girl. He had to see her.

"…No," Ty Lee responded. "I don't want you to see me"

"Why not?"

"Because I'll hurt you"

"Why?"

"Because I hate you"

"You just said you loved me…"

"I hate you for breaking my heart. I hate you for never even noticing me. And I-" she was cut off.

"Ty Lee, please…stop it," Zuko begged. "Just come here"

Zuko smiled when he heard the girl struggle to stand up. He heard her grunt and wipe her face with her sleeve. She must've had a hard time. That must be the reason she was so still, Zuko figured.

The girl came out into the front of the cell where there was a decent amount of light. She didn't look at Zuko but Zuko went to her.

"I…I never meant to," he started. "Look up at me"

The girl didn't listen and continued to look down. Zuko brought his hand to her chin and lifted her head up. He looked into her soft, gray eyes. They looked so hurt. So…desperate. They wanted to be loved. By him.

"Don't cry anymore…" Zuko whispered. Such a pretty face ruined by gushing tears. "You're really beautiful…don't cry". The girl still didn't look at him. She couldn't bring herself to do so. Zuko examined the rest of her face, for his eyes never left her own when he first looked at her.

"You're hurt" Zuko remarked, wearing a platonic frown. He brushed his fingers gently over the girl's brown and purple bruises. Ty Lee winced at his touching of her beaten flesh. She turned her head away, Zuko's fingers leaving her smooth face. "What happened?"

"Pretending to care isn't going to help me…" Ty Lee whispered. "And what do you think happened?" she replied sarcastically.

"I do care," Zuko spoke truthfully. "Was it Azula?"

"…Yes…" Ty Lee's frown deepened at the mentioning of the princess she had once greatly admired and looked up to, but now scorned and hated with much passion. She couldn't let go of the hurt she felt from realizing that Azula didn't give the smallest care for her. She was just using her. Another tear rolled down Ty Lee's eye. A single trail of the liquid dripped off of her chin. Zuko used his hand to catch the drop when it left her chin.

"She's a terrible person," Zuko subconsciously agreed with the girl. "She won't hurt you anymore…"

"I know. She has no need to come here anymore. We're just going to die in here" Ty Lee repeated herself from moments ago. It puzzled Zuko to hear the optimistic girl express any kind of negative thoughts. Maybe a few hours in prison were enough to crack her fragile heart. Or maybe it was he who had cracked it.

"We're not going to die…" Zuko comforted. "We'll get out of here alive. Together"

"…Thanks, Zuko" Ty Lee smiled through the pain showing on her face. It was all she needed to hear. She wrapped her arms around Zuko and gave him a meaningful hug. The boy smiled in response and returned the kind gesture.

"_You're _actually hugging someone?" Ty Lee joked sarcastically, giving off a girlish giggle Zuko had wanted to hear for the longest time. Seeing her hurt was just not in her nature and he disliked the thought of it.

"Shut up…_circus freak_" Zuko returned with his own chuckle, bringing a playful smile to the girl's face.

"Hothead"

"Airhead"

"Prince Pouty"

"Whore"

"I'm not a whore" Ty Lee informed, removing her head from the boy's chest to look him in the eye. Zuko just smiled and placed her head back into the curve of his neck using his hand.

"You'll be what I want you to be"

"…What're you trying to say?" the girl asked hopefully.

"I think you know" Zuko smirked, although the girl couldn't see it.

"…You'll give me a chance…?" Ty Lee hoped.

"Yeah. Maybe we can start again" Zuko fulfilled the girl's desires. She brought her face up to his and planted a soft kiss on the boy's scar. He blushed, but he didn't mind.

"I love you, Zuko"

"I know that already" Zuko teased.

"Let's just get out of here alive" Ty Lee said.

"We will"

**The End**

**I'm not too pleased with how this came out, but I don't have as much time to work on these as I would've liked. Anyways, I hope you don't regret having spent some time reading this.**

**Read & Review please! You don't have to be logged in! **

**Later!**


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